


Firecrackers

by generictripe



Category: Enlisted (TV)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Consequences, Fear Of Loosing Loved Ones, Gen, Pranks and Practical Jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 08:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1184130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generictripe/pseuds/generictripe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"It’ll be great. Like the fourth of July!” </i>
</p><p>Derrick decides to prank Pete.</p><p>It goes wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Firecrackers

“But wouldn't this make him angry?” Randy looked at his brother, resembling a kicked puppy dog. It was almost difficult to lie to that face. Almost. The two men look to the firecrackers on the desk before them. The plan was perfect. Derrick thought he had really out done himself this time. He could possibly go down in history for this perfectly juicy prank. But he could not do it alone. Poor little Randy would have to be his conspirer. But the younger man would _never_ help if he knew the truth. 

The plan was surprise Pete with a metal bucket filled with lit firecrackers at their morning PT the next day. It would be child's play to sneak a everything in with the two brother's on the case. Then Randy could light them up when Pete is busy yammering on about how much his unit sucks. Or..something like that. The sound would probably make the straight backed soldier scream like a girl. Derrick was counting on that!

“Noooo,” the older brother drew out the word,”No. It’s firecrackers. It’ll be great. Like the fourth of July!” Oh yes it is going to be a lot this a holiday in the sense that there will be loud noises , a camera and a very pleased Derrick Hill. 

This brought an innocent grin to Randy’s face. Perfect. “This is going to be awesome! He loves the fourth of July! Pete won’t know what hit him!,” he nearly yelled. 

Derrick let a smirk crack his friendly facade.

"Oh yeah. He won't"

 

Sergeant Pete Hill was having a good morning. A wondrous night's sleep had the soldier bright eyed and bushy tailed. It was probably the best he had slept since he had moved into the shithole he called his trailer. Though he'd never admit it out loud to Derrick, it kind of was awful in that trailer at night. The transition from active combat to Florida was earth shattering. It felt so strange to not have to grab for a gun at the slightest noise. To not have to patrol at night. To be safe. 

He surveyed over his black and grey clad unit. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon and it was plain that the group was not used to getting up this early. Private First Class Park was sagging to one side in the back of the formation. She didn't ever try to stifle her loud yawn. Pete threw a dirty look in her direction. She wasn't the worse of the unit though. His own two brothers were in the front, whispering to each other and...Why the Hell did Derrick have a bucket?

Pete cleared his throat loudly. The unit did not so much snap to attention but slowly dragged themselves straight. The Sergeant wanted very much to flip a table. But that was not the new positive him. Instead , Pete put on a sugary smile and started speaking.

"Now I know you are all having issues getting used to getting up early. But to be the best-"

Randy was so excited to make Pete happy. After so long without his oldest brother, he had been starved to the connection. Derrick just didn't cut it. It's hard to seek brotherly advice from someone who takes nothing you say to heart. He was listening ,rapt to Pete's pep talk. Though he hardly absorbed any of it, it was nice to hear. Sometimes, when Pete was not on a warpath over something and just talked , it was almost like they were kids again. The youngest missed his older brother , but most of all he missed when his older brother didn't frown all the time.

A nudge from Derrick brought Randy back to the matter at hand. His brother nodded to the bucket. Of course! The surprise for Pete! With a smile the younger soldier clicked at the lighter, watching the tip light up. Randy dropped the fireworks into the metal tub before he could even have a hazy though that this could turn out dangerous.

Pete was mid sentence when he heard the shots. His heart pummeled to his feet. In an instant , he was back in Afghanistan , but this time it wasn't just combat. His brothers were there. Wide eyed Randy and smirking Derrick were right next to the machine gun ratta-tats. He didn't register the looks on his brother's faces or the camera in Derrick's hands. 

Before Pete could even shout ,he was running, feet heavy and slow. Instinct. All he had was instinct and the memory of the burning sun and a rifle heavy in his hands. With all the strength in his adrenaline soaked body, he tackled his brothers to the ground. 

They hit hard, the grass like rocks in Derrick's back. The camera flew out of his hands ,making quite the arc before landing with a broken lens. The older of the Hill brothers was like a truck on his chest. 

"Pete ge-." That was around the moment when Derrick saw the expression on Pete's face and realized he had done something gravely wrong. He was pale, sweat shining on his forehead. His usually cool eyes were wild , but not with anger like Derrick expected. Pete looked desperate. Derrick swallowed hard. "I'm ..so-. Pete I.."

The three brother were frozen for a moment. Randy could sense something had went wrong with their whimsical plan and was glancing stricken from the two other men. He kept quiet , because he knew if he spoke it would come out in stutters and sobs. 

The middle brother was less than the triumphant prank king he had expected to be crowned. Derrick reached hesitantly to put a reassuring hand to his brother's head. Maybe their old gesture of love and comfort would break the look of fear staring back at him. He didn't even get his hand halfway.

His face crumpling, Pete nearly shoved Derrick away as he struggled to stand. Frantic, he glanced across the sea of faces staring at him. His unit swam and faded out in his vision. all he could picture was their snickering faces. 

"Sir..?" That would be Chubowski. "Are you alright?"

Heat rose to his cheeks. God, had he really done it. He would never hear the end of this, he was sure. Taking a deep breath Pete flashed an awkward smile. It was a poor attempt to save face ,but it was an attempt none the less. "I guess I overreacted."

Even Randy could see that this was out of character. He could see the slight shake to his older brothers shoulders. He could see the was his hand were wringing in front of him. "Pete. Pete." 

Pete shook his head, quickly. "I need to ..go do something."

Derrick was still on the ground when he fled , with an apology on his lips and guilt heavy in his chest.

 

The trailer seemed smaller when Pete came home that night. It was always cramped , but now it felt down right stuffy. The soldier sat in silence , motionless on his tiny bed. He had ran that morning over and over in his mind more times than he could count. Why had he reacted like that? He never really had _minded_ combat. In fact, he reveled in it. He was a super soldier after all! But it was different with Randy and Derrick there. It made him panic and shake to think about and he had had that scenario on his mind all day.

His train of thought was hijacked by the sound of knocking. Dragging himself to the door, he didn't know what to expect. Honestly he had not thought of much all day besides his embarrassment. When Pete threw open the door , he was greeted with a pair of faces and the smell of pizza. 

Randy could not help but smile when he saw his older brother. Yes, he knew this was a solemn visit. But they had pizza! And this silly old trailer must get so lonely. 

"Hiiiiii Pete,"he nearly sang it and probably would have if his brothers had asked.

Derrick , on the other hand , was more subdued that usual. Eyes darting to Pete's eyes, he spoke and it was hushed, "Can we come it." The older solder thought that this was quite the irrurance. His middle brother was being _polite_. If there wasn't a lump in his throat he would have smiled. But the corners of his lips just would not obey. 

"Of course."

The brothers squeezed into the tiny space. Derrick didn't glance around too much. The pizza in his hands felt like a lead weight. He was not used to giving out apologies, especially not ones he really meant. Without a word he handed the pizza box off the Pete and watched as he placed it on the tiny table. 

Randy could halfway sense the mood of this meeting, but was making to effort to match it. "We got supreme. I guess you can pick off the peppers like you used to."

"Thanks Randy." Pete said ,tonelessly.

The trio moved as if in a dream , getting plastic plates and plastic forks and eventually plastic tasting pizza. They sat without talking for a while , staring at the walls. Derick could feel the moment weighing down on them. He suddenly remembered a flag covered casket and his mother's trembling hand on his head. Physically shaking the memory away , he mustered up his courage and faced Pete.

"I'm sorry. It was a stupid prank. I should have thought about it. Of course the sound would trigger something...." The words came out so smoothly and without hesitation that Derrick wondered for a moment if he actually really said them. Pete stopped observing the wall behind his brother and finally looked him in the eye. 

"It wasn't the sound. It was you two." 

Randy stopped mid bite petrified. He had caused that? Oh God. Oh NO! Tears quickly started to well up in his eyes and spilled over before he could even blink . "I'm so _sorry_ Pete! I didn't mean too! And Derrick talked me into it." For that , the sobbing soldier got a jab to the ribs.

"Dirty rat," Derick hissed. 

 

"Listen",Pete exhaled through his nose,impatient for them to understand, "I don't care about me being in combat. I am good at it. It's..just.. different when it's someone you care about. Like with dad." But worse because now he had been over there and had seen good men fall. But he didn't add that.

Derrick was quiet for a moment,staring at his uneaten slice of pizza as if it held the secrets of life and death. "You are worried about us? You don't have to be! I'm a good shot. And Randy is...decent now when he isn't thinking about puppies that don't have homes." A sniff from the corner made it plain that that was exactly was Randy was thinking about just that. 

"Dad was a great shot, Derrick."Pete shot his brother a dark look. The younger man clammed up before sighing. "We all knew what we were getting into when we enlisted. "

 

Each of them shared a look that said more than words could. In that silence , it was plain that each of the Hill brothers understood. They understood the love and loss and worry. No one wants to loose the ones that they love. But it comes with the territory of being a soldier. And with being a brother.

**Author's Note:**

> Let's pretend I know how the Army or PSTD works...
> 
> I haven't written in like 439854843869860 years. And this was done at 2 am so lets over look the awful errors >.>


End file.
